BANKS in West Swindon and Royal Wootton Bassett have become the latest casualties of widespread branch closures.

Two Natwest branches will close in June. The firm blamed changes in how their customer accessed banking services: “As customers change the way they bank with us, we must change the way thatwe serve them and this means that some branches will have to close.

“Closing a branch is a decision we take very seriously.”

The West Swindon Natwest branch, near the Link Centre, will shut on June 21. The bank said transactions had fallen by 46 per cent since 2012. Only 49 customers use the branch on a weekly basis.

Royal Wootton Bassett’s Natwest has even fewer customers, the bank said. Only 28 people regularly use the branch, with a 57 per cent drop in transactions since 2012.

The closure of the Wootton Bassett branch on June 26 means the nearest NatWest bank will be on Swindon’s Commercial Road or Cirencester’s Market Place, 16 miles away.

Natwest say other banking options available to customers include online, mobile, telephone banking, Webchat, cash machines, Video Banking. Many transactions can be done at the Post Office.

It follows the announcement last month that Cricklade’s branch of Lloyds Bank will shut in October. Former Cricklade councillor and Wiltshire Credit Union organiser Rod Case said: “It’s been there for a long time, I’m going to miss it. I’m going to lose money from travelling to the next nearest bank which is fine for me but not all people are going to be able to do that.”